Winding indicator



June 3, 1952 H. JEANNERET 2,599,109

WINDING INDICATOR Filed July 51 1951 Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 31, 1951, Serial No. 239,443 In Switzerland August 11, 1950 5 Claims.

My invention has for its object a time-piece incorporating an automatic winding up means and an indicator of spring-expansion.

According to the invention, the gear controlling the indicator of spring-expansion includes a wheel carried by a swinging lever lying in the path of a member controlling the indicator, the arrangement being such that when the spring is completely wound up, said member abuts against the swinging lever and shifts it in a manner such as to disconnect said movable wheel, which leads to a stopping of the spring-expansion indicator.

I have illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention; only the parts required for the understanding of the invention have been illustrated in said drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a time-piece provided with automatic winding up means, as seen from the dial side.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through line II-II of Fig. 1.

In said figures, the plate of the time-piece is shown at I, the dial at 2, the barrel at 3 and the barrel spindle at 4. This barrel spindle 4 is driven by an automatic winding up means comprising an oscillatable weight 20 to which is secured a pinion 2I which drives a wheel 22, carried by the spindle 4, through an overrunning coupling 23 the detail of which is not shown on the drawing. The cover of the barrel carries an upstanding series of teeth 5 coaxial therewith and meshing with the lower endof an elongated transmission gearwheel 6 rotatably carried by a swinging lever I which latter is adapted to rock round the barrel spindle 4. Said transmission wheel 6 passes through an opening in the plate I and meshes through its upper end with a wheel 8 rotatably carried by a spindle coaxial with the clockwork. The barrel spindle 4 is rigid with a wheel 9 meshing with a wheel III coaxial with the wheel 8 and carried therewith by the sleeve IIb as will be disclosed hereinafter. Between the wheels 8 and I is pivotally secured a carrier member II provided with a lug Ila carrying two transmission gearwheels I2 and I3 meshing on one hand with each other and on the other hand with the wheel 8 or III corresponding thereto. Th transmission wheel I2 engages a peripheral recess I4 in the carrier member II provided on the lower surface of the latter and meshes with the wheel 8 while the transmission wheel I3 is fitted in a similar peripheral groove I provided along the edge of the upper surface of the carrier member II and it meshes with the wheel I0.

The peripheral grooves I4 and I5 provided in the opposite surfaces of the carrier I I open partly into one another so that the transmission wheels I2 and I3 may engage one another through a fraction of their height. The carrier member I I is rigid with a sleeve 0r bushing I lb on which are rotatably carried the wheels 8 and III and that carries a hand I6 forming the spring-expansion indicator, said hand rotating in a depression I! provided in the central portion of the dial. During the Winding up, the pinion 9 on the barrel spindle drives the wheel III which controls in its turn th transmission wheel I3. The latter drives the transmission Wheel I2 which rolls over the wheel 8 that is normally held fast by the wheel 6 so as to shift the lug Ila and consequently the carrier II in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) together with the hand I6 that indicates the stage of the winding. When the winding up is at an end, the spring expands and provides for a rotation of the barrel. The teeth 5 on the latter drive the transmission member 6 which in its turn drives the wheel 8 meshing with the transmission wheel I2. The latter drives the transmission wheel I3 which rolls over the wheel III and provides for a rotation of the carrier II in a direction opposed to the last mentioned rotation.

The rocking lever I carryin the transmission gear 6 is provided with a nose Ia extending into the path followed by the lug Hat on the carrier II. At the moment at which the spring in the barrel is completely wound up, the lug Ila engages a slope 12) provided on the nose Ia of the swinging lever I and shifts the latter rearwardly in antagonism to the return spring I9, which leads to a disconnection of the transmission gear 6 which moves away from the Wheel 8. The latter is thus released and revolves in a direction opposed to the wheel I0 while the automatic winding up means continues operating; the carrier II is no longer shifted. As soon as the winding up is at an end and the barrel spring begins expanding, the swinging lever I resumes its operative position under the action of the spring I9; the transmission gear 6 returns into engagement with the wheel 8 and the carrier II is again urged into movement.

The swinging lever I is provided with a second nose, shown at 'Ic, extending into the path followed by an extension IIc of the carrier II. At the moment at which the spring in the barrel is completely expanded, that is to say at the moment at which the swinging lever achieves its run in the direction opposed to the arrow I8, the

slope lld of the extension llc engages the nose 1c of the swinging lever l for shifting this latter in its disconnecting position. Thus, if for an accidental reason the spring-expansion indicator is out of order so that the carrier reaches the end of its run before the spring in the barrel is completely expanded, the watch does not stop but the disconnection takes place.

As a modification, the hand l6 could be replaced by a rotatable disc secured to the sleeve I lb, under the dial 2. This disc should carry indications which should appear through a windowlprovided in the dial 2.

What I claim is:

1. In a time piece, th combinationof automatic winding up means, a barrel, a spring contained therein controlled by the winding up means, a spring-expansion indicator, a member operating same, a swinging lever lying in the path of said member, a gearing operating saidindicator and including a wheel rotatablymoiinted on said swinging lever, the arrangement being such that when the spring is completely wound up, said member abuts against said swinging lever and shifts it in a manner such a to disconnect said wheel, which leads to a stopping of the-spring expansion indicator.

2. Ina time piece, the combination of -auto matic windingup means, abarrel, a spring contained therein controlled by the winding up position by which the two wheels are disconnected,th disconnection of-said wheels providing a stoppage of the control member for the spring-expansion indicator in the position assumed by it for the completely wound conditions of the wheel.

3 In a timepiece, the combination of automatic winding up means, a barrel, a spring contained therein controlled by the winding up means, a spring-expansion indicator, a member controllingsama'a transmission including a wheel controlling the indicator control member, a swinging lever providedwith a nose and to which said wheel is rotatably secured, a projection rigid with theindicator controlling member, a spring urging the nose of saidswinging lever into contact with the projection on the indicator con- 4 trolling member, the projection of the controlling member being adapted to urge the nose of the swinging lever in antagonism to the last mentioned spring away from the position for which the wheel is operative, to disengage said wheel from the transmission and thereby disconnect the movement of the spring-expansion indicator.

4. In a time piece, the combination of automatic winding up'means, a barrel, a spring contained therein controlled by the winding up means, a spring-expansion indicator, a transmission including two normally interengaging wheels, a rotary carrier for said indicator controlled by said transmission, a rocking carrier member on which one of the last mentioned wheels is rota'tably 'carried and means carried by the rotary carrier-adapted to abut against the rocking member when the spring is completely wound, to urge said rocking member into an inoperative position for which the two 'wheels are disconnected, thedisconnection'of saidwheels providing "a stoppage of the rotary carrier'fo'r the spring expansion indicator in the position assumed by it for the completely wound conditions of the Wheel.

.5. In a time piece, the combination of automatic winding up'mean's, a barrel, a spring contained therein controlled by the Windihg up means, a spring-expansion indicator, a transmission including "a rotatable indicator carrier, a radial extension on this member, a firstwheel coaxially and 'rotatably carried by said indicator carrier, a pinion controlling said wheel and rotatably carried by the extension of therotatable indicator carrier, a pinion rigid with the barrel coaxially therewith, a Wheel engaging on one hand the pinionon the barrel and on the other the wheel on the indicator member, a swinging lever adapted to pivot'roun'd the axis of the barrel and rotatably carrying the last mentioned wheel, means urging said lever into engagement "with the projection on the carrier, a transmission o'peratively connecting the barrel spring with the first pinion to provide an-angular shifting of the indicator'as long as the wheel on thelevermeshes with the first Wheel, the complete winding of the spring bringing the projection on the rotatable carrier into engagement with the swinging lever to shift the latter away "from the first wheel to set "the second wheel in its inoperative disconne'cte'd position, the disconnection of said wheel providing a stoppage of the indicator 'carrier in the position assumed by it for the completely wound conditions of the watch spring.

HERBERT JEANNERET.

'No'refere'nces cited. 

